Destiny's Way
by Zoshonel
Summary: Hyrule's past is one of blood, and once again its land is engulfed in war, a war that no race can escape from. As Hyrule's darkest hour approaches, all hope now rests upon a prophecy and the child foretold within it.
1. Prologue

**Destiny's Way**

By: Zoshonel

_Long ago, before time even began and life existed, three Golden Goddesses descended from the heavens upon the chaos that existed and set about the creation of Hyrule. These Goddesses were Din, the fiery red Goddess of Power, Nayru, the beautiful blue Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the gentle green Goddess of Courage. With their divine powers, each Goddesses chose to shape the chaos before them in their own way._

_Din, with her powerful, flaming arms, cultivated the empty space and created the red earth. She shaped the landscape, giving rise to towering mountains, profound chasms, and great expanses of land. Nayru, with her noble mind, bestowed upon the land her divine wisdom and gave the spirit of law to the world. From chaos she established order upon the universe. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life that would uphold that law. Through her life-giving breath, she transformed the barren earth into verdant plains and gave rise to all the beings that would walk the earth, fly in the sky, and swim in the waters._

_When their labors were complete, the Goddesses departed back to the heavens. At the point of departure from this world, the Goddesses left behind a magical artifact, a culmination of their powers, called the Triforce. Consisting of three golden triangles, it was a relic of omniscient and omnipotent power that would grant any wish so desired by the one who touches it. To keep it safe from those who would use its power for evil, the Goddesses sealed the Triforce away in a parallel dimension called the Sacred Realm awaiting the day when someone worthy of its power would seek to claim it._

So goes the legend. For generations it has been passed down among the races of Hyrule. Its lore the subject of many a story, there are few within the kingdom of Hyrule that have not heard the tale of the Golden Goddesses and the creation of Hyrule in some form or another. But throughout the ages, a prophecy has been passed down as well. The citizens of Hyrule both fear its fulfillment and yet rejoice at its very existence, for it foretells both Hyrule's greatest demise as well as its greatest triumph.

As written in the ancient texts, the prophecy goes:

_When the land is covered by evil, and Hyrule stands on the verge of its darkest hour . . . a child shall be born . . . a child bestowed with the sacred mark . . . His coming shall herald a new beginning . . . the darkness shall be driven back, and the ruins and scars of Hyrule shall be swept away._

Hyrule's history is one of blood, of sacrifice, of darkness, but still the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Countless wars have wreaked its countryside; the scars of which can still be seen to this very day. The souls of those long dead still linger in places, grim reminders to those unfortunate enough to cross their path. No race escaped its horrors while rivalries were formed and ended, short term allegiances developing into full-fledged alliances.

Despite is past, Hyrule has always weathered such storms, emerging victorious each time, though hardly unscathed. While Hyrule's doom had been at hand more than once, no destined hero had ever emerged. This has caused the prophecy itself to become mere legend, more of a symbol that Hyrule would endure any conflict no matter how bleak things became and come out all the stronger for it than an actual foretelling of things to come. Yet there are still those who believe in the prophecy and fear the day it foretells. Whether right or wrong, only time will tell.

* * *

Great bolts of lightening streaked across the infinite darkness of the night sky, each flash as bright as the sun as they illuminated the landscape below. Nigh instantaneous explosions of thunder followed, shaking the very earth with each successive blast. Rain the size of pebbles gushed forth from the heavens like a raging waterfall, the wind whipping it around in such a fury that each droplet stung fiercely when it hit.

Only one lone soul was brave enough to be traversing the expanse of Hyrule Field in this tempest: a Hylian knight. He rode hard and fast, his horse galloping at full speed despite the conditions. The rain battered against his armor, the visor of his helmet down for protection against the rain and to help him see, although this storm offered zero visibility save for the frequent flashes of lightening. The clothing beneath his armor was drenched, the water from the rain leaking in through the joints in his armor, and was sticking uncomfortably to his skin, yet the knight rode ever onward.

Only one hand gripped the reins of his horse, the other clutching a large bundle of cloth close to his chest. Resting within the bundle was a baby, no more than a couple months old. The cloth was wrapped tightly around the baby's body to protect it from the rain and chill winds, though not so tight that the baby could not breathe. The knight was also using his own body to deflect as much of the storm off of the infant as possible. The child fidgeted little within the knight's arms, and whether he was crying or not was drowned out by the thunder.

The knight urged his horse to gallop faster and faster, his gaze fixed straight ahead of him. Though he could see nothing else around him, off in the distance was a line of dimly lit flames: the torches that lined the outer wall of Hyrule Market, Hyrule's capital city. The torches were well protected to prevent their extinguishment in such conditions, but not so protected that the storm couldn't affect them altogether. It was here that the knight headed with all speed.

Still several leagues away, the knight continued on undaunted, despite the storm growing ever worse. Already he had traveled far, forsaking much closer havens along the way all in a desperate bid to reach his destination as quickly as possible. His mission was of the utmost importance, and any delay could be costly.

The guards patrolling the top of the wall had seen the rider approaching thanks to the lightening and had the drawbridge lowered as he neared. The knight was grateful as he saw the bridge being lowered knowing full well that any shouts to the guards would not have been heard. He pulled his horse to a full stop as he waited for the bridge to fully lower. Zora's River, which flowed past and made a natural moat for Hyrule Market, was normally a quiet and quite passive river at this section of it. Now, however, it was a raging rapid, and the water had risen so high that its waters were flowing over the top of the now lowered drawbridge.

The knight took his horse across the bridge slow and careful, so as not to slip in the water rushing across its surface. Once over, the guards who operated the drawbridge saluted the knight as he passed. He nodded back toward them and then took off again into the streets of Hyrule Market at a full gallop. The guards then set to work raising the drawbridge before taking shelter from the storm.

Not surprising, the streets were completely devoid of any people. The cozy glows of light came from only a few houses, the majority having the shutters of their windows sealed tightly against the ferocious wind and rain. Stray animals took shelter wherever they could: behind merchant stalls, under stairs, any hole they could squeeze their way into. The knight sped his way down the cobbled, winding paths of the sprawling metropolis heading for the opposite end where the entrance to Hyrule Castle awaited.

Leaving Hyrule Market behind him, the knight could see the towering castle situated before him. A guard gate, a twenty foot high steel gate enclosed within a solid stone arch, was situated across the path. Though normally closed, the gate was currently wide open. Someone from the outer wall had apparently sent a messenger ahead of the knight to tell of his arrival. The knight rode past without delay and entered the extensive castle grounds.

Under normal circumstances, soldiers would have been standing guard across the grounds, but due to the storm the grounds were empty. Only major checkpoints, such as the guard gate and the castle drawbridge, still had soldiers guarding them. As the knight got closer to the castle he noticed, just as with the guard gate, that the drawbridge was down and awaiting his arrival. Once across the bridge and inside the castle, the knight had his horse come to halt, where several stable-hands ran over to get the horse and lead him to the stables.

"Where is the king?" the knight asked without hesitation as he hopped down off his horse.

"I believe his majesty is in his study," replied one of the knights standing guard.

Without another word the knight took off running down the castle halls. Within the safety of the castle, the storm was but a distant memory. The thick stone walls drowned out most of the noise from the storm, enough so that the knight could even hear the crackling of the torches lining the hallways. Surprisingly, the baby in his arms was silent, and worrying for the child's life the knight quickly unwrapped him from the bundle. He breathed a sigh of relief upon finding the baby simply sleeping soundly.

It didn't take long for the knight to maneuver his way through the numerous castle passageways. While on normal nights, even at this late hour, people would be bustling about, during storms people tended to sit back and relax. When the knight reached the king's study, he neither hesitated nor knocked, rather simply barging into the room.

"Your majesty," the knight quickly began as he entered the room, "please forgive the intrusion, but I bring word from the Eastern Provinces."

The king's study was a modestly sized room. Finely crafted cherry wood bookcases crammed full of books on a variety of subjects lined the walls. In one corner rested a beautifully wrought red oak desk with a matching satin-cushioned chair. On the far wall a large fire crackled in the fireplace, a Hylian Shield with two swords crossed diagonally behind it hanging above the mantel. Before the fireplace were two more of the satin cushioned chairs, in one of which sat King Hyrule reading a book.

"Sir Marcus?" asked the king in surprise as he put away his book and stood up to look at the knight. "What news could be so urgent that you would brave such a storm?"

"There's been an incident," Marcus replied, clearly exhausted from his journey. "Another border village has been attacked. The entire place was burned to the ground, and just like the others there's no sign of whom or what was responsible."

King Hyrule winced at the news. "Survivors?"

"Just one," Marcus replied, holding the infant in his arms out before him.

"A baby?!" King Hyrule said in disbelief. He walked over and took the child from Marcus, cradling the infant in his arms. The baby fidgeted as he was transferred, both arms removing themselves from beneath the cloth he was wrapped in, yet asleep he remained. On his right arm was a small bracelet with an engraving on it. "Link," the king whispered softly to himself as he read the inscription on the bracelet.

"As I was exploring the ruins of the village, I heard crying," Marcus explained. "That's when I found him laying in the ashes of a burned house. I have no idea how he survived." Marcus paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Your majesty, look at the back of the boy's left hand."

Curious, King Hyrule carefully took hold of the child's left hand, so as not to wake him, and turned it to look. When he did, he nearly dropped the infant as shock overcame him. His eyes grew wide, wider than he even thought imaginable, as he stared at something he never thought he'd ever see. On the back of the child's hand glowed the golden outline of the Triforce, the bottom right triangle glowing solidly.

"The sacred mark!" he exclaimed. King Hyrule turned to look Marcus in the eyes. "This boy is the child of the prophecy."


	2. Feeling Left Out

**A/N:** Well, it's been a little over a year and a half since I updated this story, and though I had never officially declared that this story was on hiatus, it actually was. I had put the story on hold so that I could work on my own original stuff. Even though I had only had one chapter up, I still felt guilty about leaving it unfinished the way I did, but since I really wanted to get some work done on my original works and I was stuck halfway through the next chapter, it ended up becoming an extended hiatus. I truly apologize for that. But I'm back now, and I intend to finish this story. I can't promise how often the updates will be, it'll depend how much time I get to write, but I do promise to get them up in as timely a manner as possible. Happy reading.

* * *

16 years later . . .

For generations Hyrule Castle has stood. Nestled safely within the hillside, it has represented a bastion of Hylian peace and serenity, even in the darkest of times. Its towers stood proud and tall, bearing the flags and banners of all the member nations of Hyrule. The sun gleamed off the castle's white stone walls while pristine waters flowed from a nearby waterfall to form the moat. Before it stretched an expanse of brightly colored flowers and intricately cut shrubbery with a path lined with cherry blossoms that weaved its way through from the castle to Hyrule Market Town down below.

The drawbridge to Hyrule Castle was currently down. Standing at perfect attention amongst the cherry blossoms was the Hylian Royal Guard in all their glory. Clad in full-body armor, their helms contained a golden blade-like crest, the distinction bestowed upon a Royal Guard. Upon their breastplates were engraved the golden triangles of the Triforce and flowing down their backs, billowing in the gentle breeze, were royal purple capes used for ceremonial occasions. Long swords were sheathed at their sides and in one hand they each held a halberd, the tips of which pointed straight up into the air.

From within the castle a trumpet sounded, and as one the Royal Guards extended their halberds out toward the walkway. A rider emerged from within the castle, crossing over the drawbridge and down the path to Hyrule Market. Behind him followed an entire host of Hylian Knights. They rode at a slow pace, their eyes focused straight ahead of them as they made their way down.

Riding atop a black stallion, the lead rider was a young man. Short, neatly-trimmed black hair framed a rather handsome face. His dark eyes were narrowed and his lips pursed into a thin line as he rode with an air of nobility about him. Unlike the soldiers around him, he was not clad in full body armor. Instead he wore a simple chain mail shirt, over which he wore a snow white tunic embroidered with a black raven on the front: the symbol of House Ravencrest. Down his back flowed a matching white cape with the raven displayed proudly for all to see. Hanging from his belt was a long sword with an onyx jewel set within the pommel of its golden hilt.

Behind and to either side of him rode two flagbearers. One carried the banner representing House Ravencrest, a black raven upon a white background. The other carried the banner representing the kingdom of Hyrule. It contained the Royal Crest of Hyrule, the Triforce floating above the head of and embraced within the wings of a phoenix, embroidered in red upon a golden-tan background. The flagbearers were clad in simple chain mail with a sword sheathed at their sides.

The Hylian Knights followed after riding four abreast. Their horses were fully armored while the knights themselves were clad in a mix of plate armor and chain mail. Mail shirts rested upon thickly padded gambesons while a steel cuirass added extra protection to the chest and back. Upon their heads they wore a salade helm, the visor currently raised. Their hands were protected by a pair of steel gauntlets and the entire length of their legs were covered in armor. Sheathed at their sides was the standard Hylian sword, and hanging from their horses' saddles was a Hylian shield.

Bringing up the rear were the Hylian archers. Requiring more mobility than their comrades, the archers wore simply a gambeson with a leather brigandine on top, tights, and a pair of leather boots and gloves. Wrapped up in a bundle behind them was either a green or brown over-tunic and hood which the archers could use for camouflage. Their bows were slung around their shoulders and a full quiver of arrows hung snug from the horses' saddles. From their belts were sheathed a small one-handed sword for hand-to-hand combat should the need arise.

Numbering in the hundreds, the host continued to pour forth from the castle on their march toward Hyrule Market and beyond. The ringing bells of the Temple of Time now sounded upon the air, signaling the army's approach. Watching the entire display unfold below him from high atop one of Hyrule Castle's parapets was a young man. Sitting upon the wall, one leg hanging off its side as the wind swept through his messy dirty blonde hair, he was clad in simple attire: a green tunic, white pants, and some dirty leather boots. His cool, blue eyes remained fixed upon the lead rider, his left hand clenching slightly.

* * *

_A cool breeze blew passed the open East Wing corridor, a signal of the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn. The sky was overcast, but there was no sign of any rain on the horizon. The twittering songs of birds wafted sweetly in from the nearby courtyard while small critters scurried to and fro in relative peace. From within the corridor itself, however, there was quite a commotion._

_Separating the corridor from the courtyard was an arched, stone half-wall with stone pillars running along its top that gave a pretty unobstructed view of the courtyard. Standing in a circle near this wall was a group of children roughly five or six years old, some younger, some older. They were all dressed in finely tailored dresses, shirts, and pants, and their hair was neatly trimmed and brushed. Numbering about a dozen or so, they surrounded another group of three kids in the center, all boys._

_The tallest of the three boys stood there with his arms crossed across his chest, the apparent leader of the group, peering down with a sneer upon the smallest of the boys in the center. His black shirt matched his dark hair and eyes, and around his neck hung a small raven pendant upon a golden chain. The boy beside him had platinum blonde hair and gray eyes, his face having sharp, pointed features that seemed to make the snooty look he glared upon the third boy even worse. The third boy just stood there weakly, his hands held up in shaky fists. His dirty blonde hair hid the tears that were starting to form at the corners of his eyes._

"_Aw, does the little peasant boy think he's going to fight me?" The dark-haired youth asked mockingly. The crowd of kids gathered around cheered him on and taunted the young boy themselves, throwing out whatever jeers and insults they could think of._

"_As if he'd even stand a chance against you Damian," his friend replied from beside him. "We are of a superior breed after all."_

"_I still don't understand why this filth is even allowed in the castle to begin with, let alone live here," Damian contemptuously said to no one in particular._

"_Shut up!" the third boy cried. He rushed forward and attempted a left hook at Damian's face, but Damian easily sidestepped the attack, sticking his foot out as he did so tripping the boy. As the boy fell to the ground Damian kicked him hard in his stomach._

"_You low-class scum," Damian spat. "This is where you and the rest of your kind belong, at my feet."_

"_You tell him Damian," his crony replied. He walked over to the young boy, whom was still on the ground clutching his stomach, and placed his foot right by his head. "Now be a good little boy and kiss my feet."_

"_DAMIAN! DESDEL! Stop it this instant!" shouted a young girl from outside the circle of children._

_All the laughter, jeers, and noise died down instantly. Even Damian and Desdel stopped their torment and turned to face the newcomer with looks of contempt. The crowd of kids soon parted a bit to allow the young girl to walk into their midst. Her long brown locks bounced furiously back and forth as she forcefully walked up to the two boys, her sapphire eyes full of anger._

"_Princess Zelda," Damian said mockingly, "how good of you to join us. Mad that we started without you?"_

"_You should be ashamed of yourself Damian. You all should!" Zelda circled in place as she said this to everyone gathered. "I've told you before to leave Link alone. He's done nothing to you."_

"_He's peasant-born; that's reason enough," Damian answered coldly. "His kind exists solely to serve us, yet he insists on living in the castle and acting like one of us. I'm just putting him back in his place and making sure he never forgets what he truly is."_

"_Come on Zelda," Desdel snidely whispered into Zelda's ear, "you know we're right. He's not one of us. It especially wouldn't do for someone of your status to be seen with the likes of him."_

"_That's it!" Zelda yelled. "You're all horrible. Leave! Now!"_

_The crowd of children quickly dispersed, running in every direction. Damian and Desdel held their ground for a couple seconds, and then giving Zelda dirty looks slowly strolled off down the corridor. Princess Zelda watched their retreating backs for a couple of seconds before turning to Link. He was now sitting on the ground, one hand still rubbing his stomach. His eyes and cheeks were wet._

"_Are you okay Link?" Zelda asked as she knelt down beside him._

"_Why Zelda?" he asked. "Why don't you treat me like the others do?"_

"_Enough of that. I treat you the way that you should be treated."_

_Zelda licked her thumb and then rubbed it against Link's cheek cleaning off some dirt. She then looked him in the eyes and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "Now come on," she said as she jumped to her feet, "let's go play."_

* * *

"I thought I might find you up here."

Link turned from where he sat and looked over at the stairwell already knowing full well who stood there: Princess Zelda. She walked gracefully toward him, dressed in her usual attire: a dress made up of a white kirtle, a fuchsia colored bodice, and a banner displaying the Royal Crest of Hyrule hanging from a gold chain belt in front. Her hands were covered in elbow length pearl colored gloves and upon her shoulders were intricately designed gold shoulder pads connected with a gold avian brooch. Upon her head was a golden tiara with a sapphire in its center, while her waist length brown hair flowed freely behind her except for two small braids on either side of her head which came to rest upon the curves of her breasts.

"Had nothing better to do," Link simply replied, turning his body to face the princess, yet still he continued to look down upon the departing soldiers.

"You wish you were going with them, don't you?" Zelda asked melancholily upon seeing where he continued to look.

"Not particularly," Link shrugged, now turning to stare into Zelda's sapphire eyes.

"We have known each other since we were babies Link, and I know when you are lying." Zelda sighed, walking up to the side of the parapet and staring out upon the land before her. "Do you really want to go off to war that badly? Are you truly that eager to leave?"

"No, of course not!" Link said quickly, snapping his head toward her new position. "It's just . . . I just . . . want to help. You know of all the training I have received. What was the point of it all if I am just going to stay here in the castle? Out there, on the battlefield, I can be of some use. I might not be able to end the war by myself, but I know that I can make at least some sort of a difference."

"People die out there Link. It is not some game. Knights trained just as highly as yourself and with years more experience have met their own end at the hands of the enemy. What makes you think you might be any different?"

Link was silent for a moment. It wasn't that the thought had never crossed his mind before. It had, but he had just as quickly dismissed it, barely giving it any time to truly sink in as to what that truly meant. The way Zelda had said it though, and the tone of her voice now truly made Link consider things.

"I know," Link said at last, his tone turning serious. "There certainly isn't any reason to believe that I will live where so many before me have not, but even so I just can't sit here. It's just not in me."

Zelda just stood there, unmoving, still staring out upon the view before her. The wind swept her hair into her face, blocking any attempt for Link to read her expression. The silence was beginning to get to Link. He still couldn't understand why she was so opposed to his going, especially when it was bound to happen sooner or later. They both had known ever since the war had started a couple years ago.

"You are just as stubborn as ever, you know that?" Zelda finally replied, her voice neither angry nor serious but rather carrying a hint of somberness to it. "Just as clueless also," she quickly added under her breath.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Zelda simply ignored the question as she spun around, a smile now gracing her face, and took a hold of Link's arm. "Come on, let us go for a walk in the garden," she said as she began to pull Link toward the stairs.

Confused, Link just let himself be dragged by Zelda. She released her grip on him as they reached the stairs, hiking up her dress as she descended to avoid tripping. Link followed after down the narrow staircase, his thoughts wandering. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately it seemed. The past, the present, the future, his mind couldn't just focus on one.

Zelda and Link walked the halls in silence. Zelda's demeanor was cheerful enough, as far as Link could tell. He didn't detect her hiding anything beneath that smile of hers. He turned from her toward the passing windows, the midday sun shining in brightly. A couple birds flew passed, and for a fleeting second Link wished he were one of them, free to do what he wanted, not a care in the world. There was something big coming on the horizon, Link could feel it in his bones, and somehow he just knew that he was a part of it.

It wasn't long before the two of them reached the garden, which ran along nearly the entire length of the castle's northern wall. A meandering cobblestone path maneuvered its way through the garden while a small babbling creek flowed through its center. Positioned every few yards along the path were beautiful maple wood benches, every other one beneath the shade of a tree.

Every tree and flower that could be found under Hyrule's banner also had a home within the garden. Whether the flowers were arranged in simple rows or arranged in intricate and dazzling patterns, it was more of a work of art than a normal garden. When not strategically placed elsewhere, the trees were positioned around the perimeter of the garden, standing like silent sentries while various birds flew merrily from tree to tree and small woodland critters ran up and down their trunks. From all this a delicate bouquet permeated the air. It was no wonder why, despite the extravagance of Hyrule Castle itself, its garden was considered the crown jewel of the castle.

Dozens of gardeners were busy tending to the various flora around them. A few nobles were about, either sitting upon the benches or walking along its path. None of them paid any heed to Zelda and Link as they walked along, Zelda especially enjoying the sights around them. She always loved the garden. The sights of the flowers, the smell in the air, the sounds of the birds singing, the feel of the grass and bare earth upon her feet when she removed her heels, it was in Zelda's eyes the perfect place.

Link soon noticed that they were passing by Zelda's favorite spot in the entire garden. It was the center of the garden, a small little island which the creek flowed around. A little wooden footbridge led to it, upon which was a large square lattice canopy supported by four wooden posts at its corners. Growing on and hanging off of the lattice were several different types of vines and ivy, and beneath the canopy was a round, medium sized, glass table with a couple of light brown wicker chairs around it. From this island one had a view of the entire garden.

Zelda instead led them off of the path toward a lone elm tree. As they neared, Link spotted the same birds he had eyed earlier land amongst it branches where a nest stood waiting. As he was watching the birds, Zelda slipped off her heels and sat upon the edge of the nearby creek, placing her feet within the cool, glistening water. Link sat beside her and watched as the fish just swam nonchalantly around her feet.

"So, Sir Marcus is supposed to be arriving today," Zelda said as she leaned back and looked up into the sky above her. "You must be excited."

"Yeah, he's bringing an update on the Eastern Front," Link replied cooly. "He said he should be able to stay a week before he has to ride back out again."

Zelda turned to look at her friend. He just sat there, staring down into the water. She could only wonder what thoughts were going through his head, though she had a pretty good idea. Always the courageous one, always the self-sacrificing martyr, it was almost as if he had been born for that very purpose. Zelda just wished he would learn to enjoy himself more, like he used to when they were younger. She also wished he would start thinking about how his actions affected those closest to him.

As they sat there by the creek, hidden in the shadows of a nearby arch a tall, middle-aged, dark-haired man eyed them scornfully, his lips curved in disgust.


End file.
